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The Impact of Full-Day Kindergarten on Maternal Labour Supply

Author

Listed:
  • Dhuey, Elizabeth

    (University of Toronto)

  • Lamontagne, Jessie

    (Scotiabank)

  • Zhang, Tingting

    (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Abstract

We examine the impact of offering full-day as a replacement for half-day kindergarten on mothers' labour supply using the rollout of full-day kindergarten in Ontario, Canada. We find no impact on the extensive margin but do find one on the intensive margin. In particular, we find that access to full-day kindergarten increases weekly hours worked and decreases absenteeism for mothers of four-year-olds. We find that this effect is driven by specific sub-groups, namely non-immigrant mothers of only one child with low education levels who live in urban areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Dhuey, Elizabeth & Lamontagne, Jessie & Zhang, Tingting, 2019. "The Impact of Full-Day Kindergarten on Maternal Labour Supply," IZA Discussion Papers 12507, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12507
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Brewer, Mike & Cattan, Sarah & Crawford, Claire & Rabe, Birgitta, 2022. "Does more free childcare help parents work more?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Elizabeth Dhuey & Jean Eid & Christine Neill, 2020. "Parental Employment Effects of Switching from Half-Day to Full-Day Kindergarten: Evidence from Ontario's French Schools," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 46(1), pages 145-174, March.
    3. Selina Gangl & Martin Huber, 2021. "From homemakers to breadwinners? How mandatory kindergarten affects maternal labour market outcomes," Papers 2111.14524, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2022.
    4. Gangl, Selina & Huber, Martin, 2021. "From homemakers to breadwinners? How mandatory kindergarten affects maternal labour market attachment," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203636, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association, revised 2021.
    5. Huebener, Mathias & Pape, Astrid & Spiess, C. Katharina, 2020. "Parental labour supply responses to the abolition of day care fees," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 510-543.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    maternal labour supply; early education; kindergarten;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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